Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Love Your Enemies

You mean those people who specifically set out to say and do things to hurt me?

You mean those people who call me names and judge everything I say and do?

You mean those people who hate me and everything I stand for?

(the people pleaser in me winced just typing these)

It's so much easier to love the people who love me.

But Jesus never asks us to do the easy.

He always challenges us to do more.

Do good to those who hate you.

Bless those
who curse you.

Pray for those who hurt you.

Luke 6:27b-28

He doesn't just ask us to love them.

He asks us to do good, bless, and pray for them.What I had to reconcile in my heart and mind is that I can love these people without loving what they do and say that hurts.Jesus isn't asking me to love their words and actions.He is calling me to love THEM.This can be especially difficult when facedwith someone who hurts us over and over.

I don't believe Jesus is asking us to let them continuously hurt us.We are told to guard our hearts.

Above all else, guard
your heart,for everything you do flows from it.Proverbs 4:23Sometimes the only way to guard your heart against another's
words is to remove the option for them to speak into your life.Sometimes we have to love from afar.

We have two choices:Throw up our hands in defeator lift our hands in prayer for them.
Today I choose to lift my hands and love.Which do you choose?

28 comments:

Hi Wendy! I love my sister and my dad from afar. Unfortunately, these relationships are no longer based on trust. I have forgiven them (a long time ago) and they are not my enemies per say, but man can their words and actions cut deep. I still pray for these relationships to be redeemed as I love my dad and sister very much! They are both saved (praise the Lord) so I know God is working in them as I have seen small changes the past few years. Thanks for such a great post.

It isn't easy and it is painful Eileen and I know that God is working in me to help me through it. Grace. He offered it. I accepted it. And now I have to offer it as freely as I accepted it. Tall order and only with Him is it possible. Blessings!

Amen!! Forgiveness is a choice. And one we may have to make over and over and over again. Interesting that I felt compelled to retweet from Women Of Faith ‏earlier: "Forgiving your enemies doesn't help them; it helps you"

What a powerful post, my friend! I love what you said here: "What I had to reconcile in my heart and mind is that I can love these people without loving what they do and say that hurts. Jesus isn't asking me to love their words and actions. He is calling me to love THEM." How true. How TRUE!!!

Wonderful post! People often mistakenly think that to 'forgive' is the same as to 'condone.' That's where we get stuck. How do you forgive when the actions are not something we can condone? I've been through some things in my life that absolutely cannot be condoned. However, I've chosen to forgive and trust that God will deal with the situation. It's a process and often, I have to forgive over and over again before it really registers in my head...and heart.

I can not even tell you how much this speaks to me. I think about this often when I think about some of my family members. The relationships are SO difficult! This is such a wonderful reminder for me to love love and love no matter what. And to SHOW love no matter what. Thank you so much for your encouragement!